Parents

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how parents and other family members interact with schools and their children’s education
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Breaking the Cycle: Future-Proofing Schools Against Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism is a signal, not just data. Join us for a webinar on reimagining attendance with research & AI!
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School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.
April 9, 2025
A group of families approaches their school. Representing the intersection of the school/family connection.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty Images
Policy & Politics Opinion I Fought for Public Education. What I Learned From Its Detractors
Without community buy-in, education reforms can weaken support for public schools.
Heather Harding, March 19, 2025
5 min read
People Waiting In Line Before Brass Scale On Blue Background
E+
Law & Courts Religious Charters, LGBTQ+ Books, and More: A Winter Legal Roundup
This winter, key court cases tackled school desegregation, parental rights, religious charters, LGBTQ+ policies, and education funding.
Mark Walsh, March 19, 2025
7 min read
The exterior of the Department of Education Building in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 14, 2017.
The exterior of the Department of Education Building in Washington on Dec. 14, 2017. Parents are suing the department over the firing of its office for civil rights staff, arguing that the layoffs will stifle civil rights investigations.
Swikar Patel/Education Week
Law & Courts Parents Sue Ed. Dept. Over Civil Rights Office Layoffs and Delays
The lawsuit argues that the mass layoffs leave students and families with little recourse for discrimination complaints.
Brooke Schultz, March 14, 2025
4 min read
January Littlejohn of Tallahassee, Fla., center, stands as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. At left is second lady Usha Vance and at right is first lady Melania Trump.
January Littlejohn of Tallahassee, Fla., center, stands as President Donald Trump, during his March 4 address to Congress, highlighted her case alleging that school officials secretly aided her child's gender transition.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Law & Courts Parents Lose Appeal in Gender Case Trump Called ‘Child Abuse’
A federal appeals court ruled against parents who contend their school district aided a "secret" gender transition of their child.
Mark Walsh, March 13, 2025
4 min read
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen near sunset in Washington, Oct. 18, 2018.
The Trump administration has filed briefs supporting conservative positions in two high-profile U.S. Supreme Court cases on religion and public education.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Law & Courts Trump Admin. Backs Catholic Charter, LGBTQ+ Lesson Opt-Outs in Supreme Court
The Trump administration filed briefs supporting conservative positions in two big cases on religion and public education
Mark Walsh, March 13, 2025
5 min read
An illustration of a speech bubble on a blue background. The American Flag takes up the entire inside of the speech bubble.
iStock/Getty
English Learners Trump Has Made English the Official Language. What That Means for Schools
Experts spoke with Education Week about the potential challenges and opportunities an official U.S. language creates.
Ileana Najarro, March 5, 2025
6 min read
The school principal addresses parents during a monthly meeting.
The school principal addresses parents during a monthly meeting.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Artificial Intelligence How These Schools Are Getting Parents on Board With AI
Schools should give parents a primer on how AI is used in education, emphasizing its strengths and weaknesses.
Alyson Klein, February 27, 2025
1 min read
A person holds up LGTBQ+ pride flags during the Pride Parade in New York, June 24, 2018.
LGTBQ+ pride flags during the Pride Parade in New York City in 2018. A federal appeals court has rejected a parental rights claim against a Massachusetts district's policy of supporting students' gender transitions.
Steve Luciano/AP
Law & Courts Parents Lose Appeal Over School’s Gender Identity Notification Policy
A federal appeals court ruled for a district in the case of a 9th grader who did not want officials to notify parents of gender transition.
Mark Walsh, February 19, 2025
6 min read
Student heading towards school exit. Door of opportunity.
Christa Brunt/E+
Families & the Community 3 Tips for Improving Student Attendance With Parents' Help
Schools must do more than engage students, they must engage parents as well, experts say. Here's how.
Arianna Prothero, February 14, 2025
4 min read
School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
February 10, 2025
Photograph of a sign that says this is the student drop off and pick up area at a school.
KaraGrubis/Getty
Families & the Community An Unusual Consequence for Late School Pickups: Fees for Tardy Parents
School and district leaders struggle when parents are regularly late to the pickup line.
Evie Blad, February 7, 2025
4 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda is the Coordinator for Student Support Programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress combating chronic absenteeism among their students.
Naomi Tolentino walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. Tolentino is the coordinator for student support programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress in lowering chronic absenteeism among their students.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Q&A What a 'Positive, Proactive Approach' to Chronic Absenteeism Looks Like
A Kansas City, Kan., leader explains how her district shifted its approach to chronic absenteeism.
Evie Blad, February 3, 2025
6 min read